United Nations, New York, USA, June 16 2015 – Jose Ramos Horta, former President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and Chair of the Secretary-General’s High-level Independent Panel for the Review of Peace Operations, along with Ameerah Haq, Vice-Chair of the Panel, briefs journalists on the Panel’s report.
On the Photo: Jose Ramos Horta, former President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and Ameerah Haq, Vice-Chair of the Panel, briefs journalists on the Panel’s report.
Credit: Luiz Rampelotto/EuropaNewswire

The chair of the High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations, Jose Ramos-Horta, former president of the East Timor, told the press

During a press conference at UN Headquarters, Jose Ramos-Horta and the Panel’s Vice Chair, Ameerah Haq, briefed the press on the report of the High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations.

He said

“Member States must declare that when it comes to sexual exploitation and abuse the staff of the United Nations should and will be held to the same standards, the same legal processes, the same level of accountability as the rest of the world citizens.”

Ramos-Horta added

“Member States, for their part, need to immediately conduct investigations and prosecutions into credible allegations of misconduct of their personnel and keep the Secretariat informed of the status of the investigations and disciplinary actions taken.”

He said,

“We also propose that member States support the creation by the Secretary General of an effective and adequately resource victim assistance programme to support individual victims and children born as result of sexual exploitation and abuse.”

United Nations, New York, USA, June 16 2015 – Jose Ramos Horta, former President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and Chair of the Secretary-General’s High-level Independent Panel for the Review of Peace Operations, along with Ameerah Haq, Vice-Chair of the Panel, briefs journalists on the Panel’s report.
On the Photo: Jose Ramos Horta, former President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
Credit: Luiz Rampelotto/EuropaNewswire

Ramos-Horta stressed

“If in a given UN Mission there is credible evidence against a particular individual civilian who operate under the Mission, if there is credible allegation, the Mission must facilitate immediately due process to take place in that country beginning with an investigation. It must cooperate with authorities. It cannot challenge, create difficulties to the host country because the person automatically does not have immunity on that case. This is what hast to be very clear. You commit a barbarity. You have no protection whatsoever; you are subject to the laws of the country where you are operation. He cannot hide under the United Nations’ roof.”

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